Fix Error: MM API Status Showing as "Ineligible" or "Pending"
Once you create your WANotifier account and add your phone number, the onboarding process for the MM API starts automatically. Based on your account status, you may either get onboarded directly or see a status such as "Ineligible" or "Pending".
This guide will help you understand what these statuses mean and the steps you need to take to resolve them.
Let’s review the eligibility requirements for MM API.
Eligibility Requirements
To use the MM API, your WhatsApp Business Account (WABA) must meet the following conditions:
- WhatsApp Business Account, a.k.a. WABA, is active and not restricted due to policy violations
- WABA is not a WhatsApp Business App account WABA
- WABA is not an On-Behalf-Of (OBO) account managed by another business
- WABA tax country is not in a sanctioned region
- Business is not located in a sanctioned region
If your account meets these requirements, you’ll see the MM API status as Onboarded on the Dashboard of your WANotifier account. If it does not, you'll see Ineligible or Pending.
MM API Status Showing as "Ineligible" or "Pending"
If your MM API status is showing as "Ineligible" or “Pending” on the Dashboard, it means your account requires some additional action before the onboarding process can be completed. Don’t worry, this can happen in some cases and can be resolved by following the steps below.
Step 1: Find the Reason for Pending Status
To understand what’s causing the delay, you’ll need to check the exact reason in your dashboard:
- Go to your Dashboard
- Locate the MM API section
- Next to it, you will see an “?” icon
- Hover over this icon
When you hover over it, a tooltip will appear showing the specific reason why your MM API status is still pending.
Here are the common status reasons you might see and what you can do to fix them.
Status | Reason | Solution |
INELIGIBLE_ON_BEHALF_OF_WABA | The WhatsApp Business Account (“WABA”) uses the “OBO” model, which is not supported. You must either first transfer ownership of the WABA to the customer or onboard using the Intent API. | Transfer ownership of the WABA to the customer or onboard using the Intent API. |
INELIGIBLE_INACTIVE_OR_RESTRICTED | The WhatsApp Business Account is inactive or is restricted from messaging due to a policy enforcement issue. | Check your account status in Meta Business Manager and resolve any policy violations or restrictions. |
INELIGIBLE_COUNTRY_NOT_SUPPORTED | The WhatsApp Business Account is in a region that does not support the MM Lite API. | Ensure your business is in a supported region. |
INELIGIBLE_USING_WHATSAPP_BUSINESS_APP | The WhatsApp Business phone number is being used within the WhatsApp Business app. | A WhatsApp Business App number cannot use the MM API. Remove the number from the WhatsApp Business App before proceeding with MM API onboarding. |
PENDING_VALID_PAYMENT_METHOD | The WhatsApp Business Account requires setting up a valid payment method. | Add and verify a valid payment method and business details on your Meta's portal - Meta's Business Payment Settings page. |
PENDING_INTERNAL_SETUP | WhatsApp Business Account is in the configuration process of using the MM Lite API and requires no further action from the customer. | No action required. Wait for the setup to complete. If it takes longer than expected, contact support. |
Step 2: Take Action Based on the Reason
The message shown in the tooltip will guide you on what needs to be fixed. Carefully review the reason provided and understand what is missing or needs to be updated in your account. Based on this, refer to the table above and follow the corresponding action mentioned for that specific issue to resolve it.
Once the issue is resolved, your onboarding process will automatically move forward, and you will see this type of screen on your dashboard.
This indicates that you’ve successfully onboarded to the MM API and can now send optimized marketing messages at scale.
If you’d like to understand how the MM API works and how it differs from the Cloud API, which most businesses currently use to send messages, check out this blog post:
>>> Learn more about the MM API
Updated on: 21/04/2026
Thank you!